


Feints and Evasions

by starwolf_oakley



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 7-10 spoilers, 7-11 speculation, Post-Season/Series 07
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25683004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starwolf_oakley/pseuds/starwolf_oakley
Summary: During "Stolen," Coulson and Nathaniel talk a bit while Garrett gets Gordon's powers.  Nathaniel decides to keep Coulson from figuring out his plan by bragging about future recruits.
Kudos: 5





	Feints and Evasions

Coulson doubted staring at Nathaniel’s machine would do any good, but maybe a weak point could be found. As the blood, spinal fluid and who knows what else were withdrawn from Gordon and injected into Garrett, Coulson was glad he couldn’t really feel nauseous anymore. He also wondered if Gordon and Garrett were the same blood type, and if that really mattered for the process. He doubted the works of Karl Landsteiner were a concern to someone like Daniel Whitehall.

“I don’t intend to recruit only mercenaries and soldiers,” Nathaniel said conversationally. While there wasn’t much to do until enough of Gordon’s power had be transferred to Garrett, he would have to be careful not to give too much away to Coulson. Not that he would be warning the Lighthouse about their destination or target. Coulson would learn that after taking Kora back to the Lighthouse, as Kora had agreed. She was a smart girl. Must run in the family.

“Oh, no?” Coulson wasn’t interested in keeping Nathaniel talking, but he was a bit curious. Maybe he would give something away Coulson could use later. But he doubted it. Nathaniel and Sibyl had chosen Garrett for a reason, not because the once and future Clairvoyant would unnerve him.

“Yes, those targeted by SHIELD were needed.” As was getting someone who could teleport him to the Lighthouse, grab the target, and then leave with a pilot ready, willing, and able to fly the Zephyr despite its very advanced technology. John Garrett was that pilot, his grating personality notwithstanding.

“Sure, short-term” Coulson said. “To take over Afterlife and set up your power-stealing horror show.” Mercenaries would be easy enough. And Coulson could list scientists and engineers in 1982 eager to work with Nathaniel’s machines, no matter what pain they caused. “But who will you need for the long-term, if you’re even thinking that far ahead.” It had to be Garrett getting Gordon’s power, specific in both cases. But Nathaniel calling an idiot for recruiting Garrett would just be petty.

“Trust me, I am,” Nathaniel sneered. Short-term, long-term, what did it matter? Once Jemma Simmons was captured and Leopold Fitz was located, he could plan all he wanted. But now was not the time to have Coulson think about that. “Saving those killed by Hydra is where everything will come into focus.”

Coulson had played chess enough times to see a feint. Nathaniel was nervous about giving something away before he could brag about it. So why not lean into the feint? “You tell people they are going to be killed by fascists, they’ll embrace anarchy? Or what you’re calling anarchy? A lot of picking and choosing for wanting no authority.” A twitch in Nathaniel’s eyebrow let Coulson know he had hit a nerve. 

Nathaniel hoped Coulson had not seen the slight movement of his eyebrow. Gideon used to call that his “tell” at poker games. Stupid Gideon. Nathaniel forced his voice to remain cool. Shouting how SHIELD wanted to “save the world” by killing people wouldn’t get him anywhere. Kora would tell Coulson and her sister that anyway. “Motives are secondary,” Nathaniel said evenly. “Everybody wants something even if they don’t know they want it.” 

“So, it’s not that they will be killed by Hydra. It’s who they are specifically.” Was Sibyl trying another take on Project: Insight? Find out who Hydra wanted to kill and save them? But how could that help the Chronicons? And why Garrett? One of the skills he already had in 1983? Certainly not his fashion sense, which wouldn’t have changed by 2014.

Coulson might be a few steps from realizing Garrett’s skills as a pilot were the reason for his poaching. Time for a dramatic revelation. “I could explain how a certain someone will get killed by Bucky Barnes in December of 1991,” Nathaniel said. “That would certainly improve things on my end, short-term and long-term.”

Coulson thought Nathaniel was joking. “Howard Stark would never help you.”

“Now, that’s a bit sexist,” Nathaniel said. “I couldn’t get into a room with Howard Stark. But a few rooms away where all the wives gather? I show Maria Stark how she’s murdered, what that does to her darling son, how he gets captured and tortured by terrorists 18 year later? You think that wouldn’t get Maria to help me? Anything to save her family?”

The realization Nathaniel wanted to steal a plane so sophisticated only Garrett could fly it felt unimportant to Coulson. His growing concern over Gordon’s well being overtook trying to figure out what sophisticated plane existed in 1983 that Nathaniel and Sibyl would want. And if the Zephyr was that sophisticated plane became less and less important.


End file.
